California’s state parks are supported by a broad network of public, private, and non-profit partners to protect park resources while delivering a high-quality visitor experience.

Fall 2016 Grant Awardees

Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park
for Palomar Mountain State Park

To highlight Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park’s important work and promote Palomar Mountain State Park, the organization is increasing its online presence through social media campaigns.

“Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park will be pursuing a larger social media presence in order to boost visitor volume, volunteerism, financial support, and to cultivate the park's future supporters and defenders. Our marketing presence is magnified by people simply talking among themselves on social media about how much they value and enjoy Palomar... and with pictures! Social media offers Palomar what every business and cause seeks: awareness and credible, heartfelt testimonials. Thank you California State Parks Foundation!”
- Rick Barclay, Marketing Committee Chair, Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park

Spring 2016 Grant Awardees

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
for Angel Island State Park

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is embarking on a strategic planning process to complete and open the Pacific Coast Immigration Center at Angel Island State Park. When completed, the museum will provide visitors a historical context of immigration, diversity, culture, and class. As part of the process, AIISF will seek information on how better to serve, expand, and engage a diverse community of visitors, volunteers, and donors.

"Tailoring this grant cycle to help strengthen State Park's partner organizations is so welcome and so much in the spirit of the Parks Forward initiative. We look forward to using this grant to better assess our strengths and weaknesses with our donor populations."
- Michael McKechnie, Executive Director

Communicating about the importance of preserving open space, protecting wildlife, and providing crucial recreational opportunities are all elements of an effective message about the current and future park system and the significant role of parks in creating healthy communities.

With this capacity-building grant, Citizens for East Shore Parks is evaluating and refining communication efforts about the importance of shoreline parks, how to reach to new and diverse audiences, and develop a set of tools and communication plan.

"We are most grateful to California State Parks Foundation for assisting us with messaging for our project to create a resilient shoreline along the Bay shore."
- Robert Cheasty, Executive Director

Clockshop is connecting the next generation of stewards through the Bowtie Project Education program at Rio de Los Angeles State Park. The program offers diverse urban youth a hands-on learning experience that integrates environmentalism and art practice. With this grant, Clockshop continue the efforts of education program by increasing the capacity and effectiveness of the program to become more sustainable in the long term and serve more students.

"The Bowtie Project Education Program is designed to introduce students to new ways of thinking about art and the environment using the Bowtie as the classroom. Students may engage in one-day site visits, multi-day units inspired by a single Bowtie artist project, and guided site exploration. Clockshop is thrilled to have California State Parks Foundation continued support in making this project possible."
- Julia Meltzer, Director, Clockshop

Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma
for Folsom Lake State Recreational Area

In the work toward Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma fulfilling its mission to enhance education and recreation opportunities for the public and to protect the wonders and resources of Lakes Folsom and Natoma, Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma is completing a board assessment and development of a board recruitment plan, with accompanying implementation strategies and timeline.

"Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma was formed 7 years ago by a small group of park enthusiasts who love Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. We have grown steadily as an organization over the years, through the efforts of our all-volunteer Board. The State Park Foundation’s grant comes at a time when our future potential for giving back to our park depends on expanding and developing our Board of Directors. We are excited to begin this next phase of growth."
- Linda McDonald, President

Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches
for Carlsbad State Beach, Cardiff State Beach, and South Carlsbad State Beach

To build long term financial sustainability, Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches was awarded a grant to develop a sustainable revenue stream to continue to serve Carlsbad State Beach, Cardiff State Beach, and South Carlsbad State Beach well into the future.

Friends of Mt Tam will develop a social media campaign to increase volunteerism, expand outreach activities, and communicate Mount Tamalpais State Park programs and natural resources to a wider, younger and diverse audience.

Friends of North Bloomfield and Malakoff Diggins
for Malakoff Diggins State Historical Park

A new community of supporters are coming together, Friends of North Bloomfield and Malakoff Diggins to support Malakoff Diggins State Historical Park. To develop a road map and vision for the path forward, this grant for the development of a strategic plan will support their work as a park partner.

"As a new association supporting a nearly-closed park (Malakoff Diggins SHP), there are many challenges competing for our time and resources. While we have some clear immediate tasks, we are also aware of the need to plan for the future. Receiving the grant from CSPF will make it possible for us to do the in-depth strategic planning and capacity building work that is so essential to successful support of the park both short and long term."
- Holly Mitten

New volunteer uniforms at Topanga State Park will help clearly identify Topanaga Canyon Docents. There would be two components to the uniform: a hat with the official state park symbol and the word "volunteer" and a volunteer vest. The vest contains multiple pockets for holding docent presentation materials.

"The Topanga Canyon Docents appreciate the support of the California Parks Foundation. Pictured here, Peter Rice is one of the Topanga Canyon Docents that lead interpretive walks for visitors to Topanga State Park. After months of training in the ecological, botanical, biological, geological and cultural systems of the park, each docent provides a different perspective on the Natural and Cultural history of the Santa Monica Mountains during the Sunday morning walks and weekday walks for school groups. Peter particularly provides insights into Chumash culture and their rich use of the natural gifts of the Santa Monica Mountains."
- Roy Jansen

Latino Outdoors, along with the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, a program of the National Park Service, have began development of a comprehensive visioning document, a strategic plan and a business operations plan to develop a long term organizational sustainability plan. Once completed, Latino Outdoors will be able to connect more students, families, and Californians to parks.

"Latino Outdoors is excited and honored to be a recipient of a generous Park Enrichment Grant from CSPF. With these funds, combined with the support and guidance from staff from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, we will be successful in completing our visioning plan and improve our capacity for connecting youth with nature, cultivating and promoting environmental stewardship in our community and sharing the stories of our Latino outdoor experiences."
- Richard Rojas Sr., Chairman, Latino Outdoors Advisory Board

Mendocino Area Parks Association
for Mendocino Headlands State Park, MacKerricher State Park, Van Damme State Park, Russian Gulch State Park, Greenwood State Beach, and Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area

Mendocino Area Parks Association will develop an online communications and marketing strategy, skills and plan to connect to younger and more diverse group of park supporters to grow and diversify a volunteer community, park stewards and donor base.

"The Mendocino Area Parks Association (MAPA) is extremely grateful to CSPF for this opportunity to work with Full Court Press Consulting Services. If MAPA is going to be effective in helping to ensure that our state parks are relevant to a younger and more diverse group of potential park stewards, MAPA needs to fully embrace social media and optimize our web presence. This grant could not come at a better time!”
- Jenny Heckeroth, Executive Director

San Onofre Foundation
for San Onofre State Beach and San Clemente State Beach

The San Onofre Foundation offers a year round field trip program, free school group field trips, plus community college classes to educate students and inspire public engagement in the preservation and protection of parks. This grant fund will support building organizational capacity to increase in number of students served and help grow these important educational programs.

"The San Onofre Parks Foundation is thrilled to be able to expand the free school group field trip program with the funding support from the California State Parks Foundation grant. We’ve kicked off the summer by hosting more than 100 students from Boys & Girls Clubs from San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Oceanside at San Clemente State Beach for a water safety and lifeguard demonstration this week."

Local third-graders learn about archaeology from John Marsh Historical Trust board member Barry Margesson. CSPF's help with fundraising training gives us more time and resources to provide programming for local schools.

John Marsh Historic Trust
for Marsh Creek State Park

To be become a more effective fundraising organization capable of securing on-going revenue for operations as well as conducting major capital campaigns to open Marsh Creek State Park to Californians, John Marsh Historical Trust was awarded a grant for board training in business plan development, board recruitment, fundraising and donor relation training.

"This support from the CSPF's Park Enrichment Grant program will help the John Marsh Historic Trust learn how to effectively raise money, and the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) will provide the exerts. That lets us focus more on providing hikes, artists days and elementary school field trips and other limited access to the yet-to open park. CSPF is a great partner in our effort to save the John Marsh Stone House and open the Marsh Creek State Park."
- Rick Lemyre, John Marsh Historical Trust Executive Director

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